Your pulse rate describes how many times your heart beats per minute. That is, how much it's pumping (circulating) blood throughout your body. That's the simple answer. Normally, a resting pulse will be between 60-100 beats per minute, but this will vary widely based on your age, fitness level, diet, time of day, etc. An athlete may have a resting pulse of 45, for instance, and this could be considered normal, whereas someone who is out of shape would probably notice a faster pulse. If you are healthy, your pulse will increase while exercising because your body requires more oxygen and nutrients during this time, and on the other end of the spectrum, it will be lower while you are at rest.

I was told 10 years ago that I have congestive heart failure. I am 44 years old and I have a congenital heart deffect. I have been a non-insullin dependent diabetic since birth, as well. When I take my blood pressure, my pulse rate is always over 100. It has even been 148. Should I be overly concerned about this? This is my resting heart rate.